Chapter 431
Mate. Mate. Mate. Touch her, smell her, taste her…
Lucien was so used to that thought, that driving desire, that he almost spoke the words along with the voice deep within him. As Elain shuddered and went still beneath him, he pressed his lips to her cheek, listening to her breathing begin to slow. He was more relaxed now than he had been. Being able to hold his mate in his arms, bury himself deep within her as he allowed his hands to touch her, exploring that soft skin had eased something within him. He was more at peace now that everything in the world, and Elain was everything, was right again and that life that they had so desperately wanted together was within sight.
Dark brown eyes met his gaze, and Lucien's blood heated once more. Touch her, smell her, taste her…
"Petal…" he breathed in her scent, enjoying the smell of her arousal. His heart beat quickly against his ribs, and Lucien traced his fingertips down Elain's arm. She was curled into him, one of her legs still slung across his waist, and he was definitely not allowing her to go any further away from him. Lucien was well and truly not done with her yet. "Did you enjoy that, my love?" his hand slid up her back, over her spine, and he grinned at the slickness he still found there. He had known that she had enjoyed it, he would have been able to tell how much she had loved that just from watching her and from hearing the sounds she had made, even if he hadn't been able to feel her down the bond. Elain had grown more and more responsive since the first time they had been together, and Lucien loved it.
"Very much…" She snuggled closer to him, her hand sliding around behind him as she tucked her head up beneath his chin. "I think you know that…"
"I might have…" Her hair was always so soft, and Lucien could not help combing his fingers through it. Elain made a soft sound of pleasure at that and it went straight to Lucien's cock. He knew that he was hard again within moments, but he did not move just yet. Continuing to comb his fingers through Elain's hair, Lucien drew one deep breath after another. What they had just done had been intense, and he wasn't too certain that he had been entirely gentle. He knew Elain liked that, knew that she had liked what he had just done to her, but that did not mean that he was just going to roll her onto her back once more and just pick up again where he had left off. Not until he knew that she was ready for him, and that she wanted that.
"Are you enjoying this, my love?" Elain's words were soft, and Lucien wasn't entirely certain that he knew what she was talking about. At least until he felt her hand take hold of him. He choked back a groan. "It seems you are…" That gentle hand slid the length of him and Lucien was unable to hold back the small moan that worked its way up his throat. Elain's hand reached the end of him and she rolled her palm carefully across him before sliding her hand all the way back to the base.
"Cauldon boil and fry me…" Lucien groaned, eyes squeezed tightly shut. "…fuck."
The soft laugh he received in response to that suggested that Lucien's sweet little mate knew exactly what she was doing to him, and that it had been intentional. He opened his eyes then, looking down at her, and he more than loved the pretty blush staining her cheeks as she watched his face for any and all reactions to what she was doing with her hand. She still needed that reassurance, he realised, still needed that validation that what she was doing when trying to pleasure him was correct and effective. Was it ever. Lucien resisted allowing his eyes to roll back in his head, and instead he slid one of his hands down over his mate's hip, and down her thigh. He loved the way she felt with one leg draped over his waist, leaving her open to him and available to touch. She shuddered slightly when that had came up her thigh and slid inward.
"This…" she was breathing heavily again, "…is… meant to be… my… turn…"
"It is your turn…" he grinned wickedly at her, and watched her blush darken, "But I'm still allowed to touch, aren't I?"
"Always," She agreed, "You can always touch me."
Lucien wanted more than to touch her; he wanted to taste her, wanted to breathe her in as he did so. That old territorial feeling surfaced within him, and Lucien fought to keep it leashed. It was less frequent now since Elain had accepted the mating bond, and he had tethered himself to her. That extra connection that only he had with her, and nobody else did, had allowed him to push those other desires back. They were never gone, however, and Lucien doubted they ever would be. Elain was his. She was his mate. Nothing in the world was ever going to take away his desire to touch her, to claim her, to have her. He wouldn't wish it to, either.